England: Maro Itoje tipped for captaincy as ‘doubt’ over Jamie George’s place grows – report
Steve Borthwick has reportedly decided to make a change in leadership for the Six Nations.
Maro Itoje is the frontrunner to captain England during the Six Nations taking over from Jamie George, according to a report.
The second-rower has skippered Saracens this season and could do the same at the highest level with George’s position in the starting XV under threat.
England boss Steve Borthwick is set to name his squad for the tournament later today and it could include a change in the leadership for the Championship.
Maro Itoje to captain England
According to a report by the Daily Mail, there are doubts over whether George is still a ‘nailed-on starter in the XV’ and could lose the captaincy with Theo Dan and Luke Cowan-Dickie pressing to replace him in the front-row during the Six Nations.
Itoje ‘is in contention to take over’ as captain, the report adds as he did with Saracens.
Owen Farrell initially captained England under Borthwick once he replaced Eddie Jones as head coach but when he made himself unavailable for the 2024 Six Nations, it was George who took on the responsibility.
While George’s position in the starting line-up is under pressure from the likes of Cowan-Dickie and Dan, Itoje has been England’s first-choice lock for much of his career and often plays a full 80 minutes which is not the case for the front-rower.
England’s struggles in the final quarter of Test matches last year was a real issue for the side as they succumbed to five straight defeats and having a consistent leadership for the full 80 minutes could benefit the side.
Eddie Jones on Itoje as captain
Ex-England coach Jones believed that Itoje was not fit for the captaincy stating as much in his book ‘Leadership’.
He viewed the lock as “inward-looking” and believed that he “drives himself rather than anyone else. He doesn’t usually influence people off the field”.
However, Jones backtracked on those comments in 2021 as he hailed how much he had matured.
“I’ve never seen a guy mature as much as he has in the last six months so it’s been a really good period for him,” Jones told the Telegraph.
“I’m going to contradict myself – and contradiction’s a big part of life – but I’ve got no doubt in the future he will captain England. Whether that’s in my time or someone else’s time.”
England kick-off their Six Nations campaign on the road with a clash against defending champions Ireland on February 1. They then host France, Scotland and Italy at home before concluding their tournament in Cardiff against Wales.
READ MORE: Six Nations: All the fixtures and kick-off times ahead of the 2025 edition
